James “Butch” Rosser, MD, FACS

International Academic Surgical Leader

James “Butch” Rosser, Jr. MD, FACS, also known as “Dr. Butch is a practicing physician and general surgeon with a special interest in diseases of the esophagus and stomach. His broad clinical expertise has a special focus on utilizing minimally invasive (laparoscopic) approaches to cure patients of chronic heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. He has been an internationally-recognized leader in minimally invasive surgery for more than 20 years. He has given more than 350 invited lectures around the world, written over 50 peer reviewed articles, more than 16 chapters in books currently in print and authored 11 digital books. Dr. Rosser is currently Clinical Professor of Surgery at University of Central Florida and has held similar academic appointments at Northeastern Ohio School of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine. He has served as the Treasurer, Vice President, President and board member of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons.

Leader in Innovation

Dr. Rosser has been a leader of exploring the unknown since early in his career. In the early nineties, he performed laparoscopic removal of gallbladders in some of the youngest patients in the world. His exploits were featured on the Miracle Child Telethon. Shortly after this groundbreaking work, Rosser realized that most surgeons were not adapting well to this new surgical arena. Now they operated in a world of screens. They could no longer touch tissue with their hands, 3-D deep perception was taken away and the use of their non-dominate hands. Therefore Rosser created a special training program to teach the “old dogs new tricks.” The program is called the Top Gun Surgeon Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Program. It established the proper skill set for surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgery in an amazing 12 hours. Many studies had documented that it could take up to 350 hours for surgeons to do this on their own. The program is also unique because it uses Stealth Learning, validated video games, music and simulation to achieve such remarkable knowledge and skill transfer. Over 7,000 surgeons have gone through the “Top Gun Surgeon” experience. Another distinguishing feature about the program is that it generates a surgeon report card that provides their ranking with other surgeons that have taken the course. No longer can a person claim to be “one of the greatest surgeons of all time and really be a legend in your own mind.” Rosser has now proven that children can take the same course and do just as well as trained surgeons. This breakthrough research now opens up the possibility for students to start their journey to the operating room early in their education careers. Dr. Rosser has also been a pioneer in telemedicine, the remote care of a patient using computers and video screens. He helped define the remote control of a surgery, called telementoring, from great distances. The first missions were in Detroit and then extended to the military in Hawaii. In 2000, he organized and produced the first globally televised telementoring mission on the debut of the Discovery Health Channel from Yale University to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was first to telementor a removal of a gallbladder in a mobile surgery unit in the jungles of Ecuador and missions in Africa. Dr. Rosser has initiated what he called the “Digital Learning Revolution” utilizing video games, music, cinema and simulation to enhance knowledge and skill transfer. His landmark academic papers have inspired a generation of young scientists to explore using pop culture icons to assist in all types of education verticals. His book Playin’ to Win: A Surgeon, Scientist and Parent Examines the Upside of Video Games continues to inspire investigations and product development in the world of games for good. Lastly, in spite of not being an engineer, Dr. Rosser has two patents and over nine products that he has designed or helped to design. His desire to explore and create continues to churn with Second Opinion Chaperone being his brain child.

Cutting Edge Entrepreneur

Using the momentum and formula for superior knowledge and skill transfer from his book Playin’ to Win, Rosser formed the Stealth Learning Company (SLC). SLC believes that the key to formulating successful solutions to today’s challenges will be based on an organizations ability to empower ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things using scalable, collaborative, cognitive and manual skill set development platforms. The Stealth Learning Company executes these goals with proprietary and non-proprietary innovative tactics, techniques and technology. At the heart of this formula is a revolutionary learning and training pedagogy called Stealth Learning. Stealth Learning fuses education with entertainment to meet the learner where they live. Like a virus, it rapidly engages the host and sustains interest through previously unexplored learning assets that can be found in pop culture (music, television, cinema and video games). These frequent sources of distraction to excellence are flipped to become powerful resources to promote the greater good. The Stealth Learning Company makes learning more precise, effective and fun and Second Opinion Chaperone is its most ambitious project to date.

A Medical Messenger

For over 20 years, Rosser has used the air waves to educate the masses on medical issues. Starting with the first reality television show The Operation, Rosser gave the public a behind the scenes glimpse at the personal and professional details that go into removing a gallbladder with small incisions, long thin instruments and television screens. In addition, you may recognize Dr. Rosser from his many appearances on Fox, CNN, CBS, NBC and other networks. He has become increasing known from his appearances on the Dr. Oz show and his focus of helping patient’s unravel the medical complexities around heartburn and GERD. With this exposure, he has taken on a new description of his expertise, and is now known as an “esophagologist.” Each Wednesday morning, Rosser conducts his War Against Heartburn on iHeart’s Monsters in the Morning Program with Russ Rollins. And starting on Saturday May 7, 2016 he will have his own show “House Calls With Dr. Butch” to start what is being shaped as a syndicated medical show that is both entertaining and informative.

More About Dr. Rosser:

Humanitarian Focused

Dr. Rosser has accomplished extensive professional success. However, he is most proud of his social and humanitarian contributions around the world outside of medicine. He is director of the non-profit organization called Modern Day Miracles and has worked in underprivileged areas around the world to give access to citizens the modern miracle of advanced laparoscopic surgery. His first mission involved the introduction of minimally invasive surgery to Jamaica. This was followed by similar expeditions to Aruba and Africa. Next, Rosser focused on the introduction of 21 st Century jobs to communities that have high unemployment rates. In 2010, working with the government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Rosser introduced over 7000 residents of South Florida to 21 st century jobs (from video game development to being a drone operator). Thirty thousand Mississippians were exposed at the Jackson Mississippi Air Show. Rosser has extensively worked trying to help bring about change in the way we educate our children. He introduced cutting edge methodologies for pre-school children and their teachers while working with Head Start in his home state of Mississippi. He helped to secure a 13 million dollar grant for Jackson, MS. Public Schools and started the investigation of using video games to help with math education. He conducted a similar effort with the Piney Woods School in Mississippi. His ground-breaking research with Piney Woods demonstrated that high school students could undertake the same training course as surgeons and do just as well or better. At the same time, Rosser developed a long working relationship with the Orlando Science Center and introduced thousands of children to the joys of STEM subjects with yearly performances and demonstrations of his Stealth Learning technique. Now he has undertaken maybe his most ambitious effort with the launch of Project Hover at Mollie Ray Elementary School in Orlando, Florida. This project will use Stealth Learning videos, music, video games, surgical simulations and drones to more effectively teach the fifth grade Florida standards in scientific investigation.

Awards and Recognitions

Telecommunication Industry Academy Award for the Best Show for the Greater Good, The Operation: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Three time Smithsonian Award winner for Use of Technology in Medicine

National Role Model Award, Minority Access, Inc.

Alumni Hall of Fame Award, University of Mississippi

National Award for Surgical Education, Ethicon Endosurgery

SCLC Charles Drew Award for Medicine

NAACP Living Legend in Medicine Award

Smithsonian Black History Maker Award

Mississippi Governor’s Education Award

Jack and Jill Father of the Year Award (multiple)

District Five Orlando School System Award of Distinction: Project Hover